How to Slap

[Bass_x_Masta]

Here are some tips to Slap:

1 - Always slap at an equal angle to the string
2 - Use bony side of thumb
3 - Learn Some KoRn
(All of these songs are intense slapping)
4 - Slap At a Fret with NO Harmonics
(Such as 20)
5 - Don't hit the Pickup
(This wrecks it, and that sucks)
6 - Don't Be afraid of the smack sound you hear from the bass, it will not come from the amp, and doesn't wreck it


Correct me if I;m Wrong

- Nad

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

Here are some tips to Slap:

1 - Always slap at an equal angle to the string
2 - Use bony side of thumb
3 - Learn Some KoRn
(All of these songs are intense slapping)
4 - Slap At a Fret with NO Harmonics
(Such as 20)
5 - Don't hit the Pickup
(This wrecks it, and that sucks)
6 - Don't Be afraid of the smack sound you hear from the bass, it will not come from the amp, and doesn't wreck it


Correct me if I;m Wrong

- Nad

I appologize, but I am going to have to pick this apart...

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

1 - Always slap at an equal angle to the string

This is just simply wrong. Slap anyway angle you like as long as it feels good and sounds good. There are many differnt pro bassists that hold thier thumb at differnt angles for many different styles of playing.

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

2 - Use bony side of thumb

I suppose this makes some sense, if you are talking about using the outer nuckle of your thumb. But I would imagine that it is impossible not to do that.

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

3 - Learn Some KoRn (All of these songs are intense slapping)

If you are a koRn fan, than go ahead and learn some of their stuff, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it if you are trying to learn proper slap style. All that guy does is pretty much bang away at his bass with his boney thumb...

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

4 - Slap At a Fret with NO Harmonics
(Such as 20)

Are you talking about where you actually slap the string with your thumb or muting the string after you slap it? Technically, you can slap anywhere you like as long as it sounds and feels good. I tend to slap in between the neck pickup and the neck itself. If you are talking about muting the string after you slap it, anywhere on the neck will do with proper left hand technique.

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

5 - Don't hit the Pickup
(This wrecks it, and that sucks)

I don't think it actually wrecks the pickup, but yeah, don't do it. If you are hitting the pickup when slapping, you aren't controlling your right hand enough.

Originally Posted by Bass_x_Masta

6 - Don't Be afraid of the smack sound you hear from the bass, it will not come from the amp, and doesn't wreck it

You can certainly wreck the amp or blow the speakers if you slap right (wrong) enough. You can really get those cones moving with heavy slap, causing them to crack. Or you can overdrive your poweramp which is not a good thing either.

[EricTheEZ1]

Never ever recommend Korn again. Sure, I loved them when I was 14, but you can't really hear "bass" in Korn. On top of that, his technique is horrible.

Recommend some Marcus Miller, Anthony Jackson, Victor Wooten, or even some Flea.

[oathbass462]

les claypool to he mostly taps the frets but he does slaps alot too.

[Redhotbassist]

I recommend Level 42/Mark king for slap lines. on top of the above mentioned, but not Korn.

[barthanatos]

Originally Posted by xgabriel

Or you can overdrive your poweramp which is not a good thing either.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is only a problem on solid state amps?

If it is bad for tubes, could you elaborate on why? Mine has some sort of amp protection circuitry in it, so I guess it must at least be a consideration. And what about the preamp?

[jrduer]

When I slap, I prefer the open-hand-to-the-side-of-the-head technique...

~John

[GSRLessard14]

Originally Posted by oathbass462

les claypool to he mostly taps the frets but he does slaps alot too.

yyyyeah...

I prefer Les' slapping technique because his thumb comes to rest on the next highest string, which helps reduce sympathetic vibration. One of the other options is to just whack the string and bounce off it, but this requires a lot more accuracy and your more likely to accidently hit other strings in the process, in my opinion.

[anonymous278347457]

Originally Posted by EricTheEZ1

Never ever recommend Korn again. Sure, I loved them when I was 14, but you can't really hear "bass" in Korn. On top of that, his technique is horrible.

+1 especially on twisted transister.


maybe that exzibit(sp?) guy REALLY played the bass on that song

[Drake Kennedy]

Aww, and I clicked on this thread hoping to see someone actually put together a helpful, truthful, and just good FAQ on slapping. Instead, I get "learn some koRn."
:/

[tplyons]

For me, I just kept hitting it til I sounded right, then went from there. I'm not the most technically advanced slapper, but anything will work IMO, as long as it gets the effect you wish.

[Redhotbassist]

http://www.gazzbass.com is a good site for slapping, very stanley clarke/mark king style slap bass, with some fretless bassing too.

[Bruce Lindfield]

"The blind leading the blind.." springs to mind...?

[Sippy]

Okay ... just an comment that needs to be made... KoRn is not a good example of slap bass... it is a good example of tuning VERY low, and randomly flinging your thumb around in hopes that it will hit a string.... a string that is positioned down in between your shins.

[ghizmo]

i think slap is a very personal style
everyone can find everyone's slapping style great

[Eric Grossman]

Originally Posted by ghizmo

i think slap is a very personal style
everyone can find everyone's slapping style great

Everything in music is personal. That's what music is. Personally, this is a ridiculous thread.

Blind leading the blind is absolutely right.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Eric Grossman

Everything in music is personal. That's what music is. Personally, this is a ridiculous thread.

Blind leading the blind is absolutely right.

If we are talking about the original thread starter, than yes, I agree. But if this is in reference to my post, than no...

[Eric Grossman]

Sorry man, I was referring to the original post.

[spindizzy]

Be helpful, be constructive, be open minded and remember, no matter what you think you are not the best player that ever lived...that player hasn't been born yet.

As someone who has slapped, thumped, fingered, picked, play with everything from coffee cups to violin bows since the late 60's I can tell you that there is no wrong way nor is there an immutable right way there is only your way.

Back when I started we didn't have forums like this with overly opinionated folks full of self importance to stop us from experimenting and emulating anything we thought of or saw someone else do. You need to remember if it wasn't for those days of intense experimentation you all would be writing about which Beatle bass to buy and how best to play the root in every tune you learn.

Be careful how you judge the posting of someone who is here seeking help...not a good bashing.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by spindizzy

Be helpful, be constructive, be open minded and remember, no matter what you think you are not the best player that ever lived...that player hasn't been born yet.

As someone who has slapped, thumped, fingered, picked, play with everything from coffee cups to violin bows since the late 60's I can tell you that there is no wrong way nor is there an immutable right way there is only your way.

Back when I started we didn't have forums like this with overly opinionated folks full of self importance to stop us from experimenting and emulating anything we thought of or saw someone else do. You need to remember if it wasn't for those days of intense experimentation you all would be writing about which Beatle bass to buy and how best to play the root in every tune you learn.

Be careful how you judge the posting of someone who is here seeking help...not a good bashing.

I totally understand where you are coming from with this. I do however believe that my first post in this thread was nothing more than constructive critism.